No good answer

I have a sister living in South Africa for 6 months. While there she is experiencing poverty on a global disaster scale. This is causing her to genuinely question why God allows the suffering of His children and the world in general, especially based on Matthew 6:25-34. Good question, here was my response.

"Kristin,
I guess since I am the Pastor in the family, I should be the one to field this question. In a nut shell...I don't know. I don't know why God allows some nations to suffer and others to prosper, at least monetarily speaking. But, I think the real indictment lies not with God, but with man, Christians in particular.

As you read Matthew 6:25-34, make sure you also read 1-24. Those verses establish the context for 25-34. If you notice, 25 starts with the word "therefore" which means the argument is based on the verses preceding. In summary - We should give to the needy for the needy's sake, not to proclaim how great we are (1-4) - We should pray not in pride, but in humility, knowing it is God who hears us and that is what really matters (5-15) - Fasting should be private, not public...again no pride (16-18) - and finally we should value the wealth of heaven over the wealth of earth (19-24). Therefore, based on these things just said, God provides for the world, the way He provides for the animals. (25-34)

I would say the primary way He does that is through the generous, humble giving of people who pray, fast and value the Kingdom of Heaven over the Kingdom of this world as evidenced by their sacrificial lifestlye (read 1-24 again). The indictment is not against God, who gave His most important commodity (Jesus), but rather us (Christians) who will not sacrifice a night at the movies, or buying that 4th study Bible so that a South African might eat. 1-24 need to be obeyed and taken seriously, not metaphorically, to make 25-34 a reality.

Now could God supernaturally provide? Of course! Like with Elijah and the ravens. But that is not how He typically works. For some reason (another question with no good answer) He has bound himself, to a certain degree, to humanity. Ours is the responsibility to share the Good News. Ours is the responsibility to clothe the poor, feed the hungry, bind up the sick, cast out the demon. Can God do it without us? Yes. Absolutely. Will He? Not usually. Does that make Him less loving? No. It makes US less loving. He has given this world all it needs: trees for food, animals for clothing, intelligence for multiplying all of it. WE abuse it, fill it with pride, and hoard it. The fault is ours.

I think the passage has a tinge of eschatological flavor to it as well. What Jesus says is sometimes true NOW in this world. My friend Ron has 4 kids under 8 and has been laid off 6 times this last year. God has provided in amazing ways for his family, primarily through sacrificial, generous Christians. This passage is sometimes true, NOW. But there is coming a day when it will ALWAYS be true. 100% of the time.When He returns. Until that day, WE have a responsibility to bring the Kingdom of God to bear on the kingdom of this world. Now. We do. Us. God does His part, we fail in doing ours.

That's all I have to say about that..."

Ted Dekker

Patience takes too long

I've been thinking alot about patience lately and how little of it I have. Not the kind that allows you to wait in line, or get called for your food, or receive a book in the mail. I got that. It's easy. I mean real patience. The kind that allows you to wait until the fruit of salvation is seen in a new believer's life. The kind that inspires hope in me that someone will change when they are presented with the Truth. The kind that gives me faith that things will not always be the same with my kids and their sickness.

I am reading this book called "Love as a Way of Life" by Gary Chapman. Great book, but really raises the bar on what it means to love. This week, patient love. The kind that waits until it hurts. Just when I get impatient with people not moving forward in their spiritual journey, I remember how patient God was with me. It took me 18 years to come around. 18 years of waiting and dragging my feet, sinning and spitting in God's face. But He was soooo patient. Patient with the whole world. Patient to wait until the fullness of time to send Jesus, and now patiently waiting to send Him again.

I guess I can be patient too. Patient to wait until God bears fruit in a person's life. Patient to see better days with family health. Patient to see more of the image of Christ in me. How's you're patience? In the BIG things that really matter for eternity?

Satan is a poo-poo head

I can still remember seeing these words on a t-shirt at a Christian concert more than 15 years ago. And the truth of that statement is more than I communicate in one blog. Satan really is a poo-poo head. I have had one hell (this is not vulgarity, but literal statement of the source of my bad week, keep reading) of a week. My family has battled sicknesses, unknown smells in the house and more. Now I am not a guy who sees Satan behind every door. Sometimes bad stuff happens in a fallen world. So this is howyou can know the poo-poo head is on the attack:

• when you feel discouragement rise out of nowhere
• when you feel like you can't breath from the weight of your troubles
• when anxiety marks your thoughts
• when fear of the future outweighs the hope of tomorrow

We tend to give the Devil too much credit. Keep in mind he is a deciever (2 John 1:7) and a master liar. His main tactics are to so beat you down, you do not remember your strength in Christ (1 John 4:4). If he can convince you all is lost, he has won. Remember too he is not all powerful, all knowing, all seeing. Those things are incommunicable (non-sharing) attributes of God. He is a creature, beautiful (Ezekiel 28), powerful (Isaiah 14) but still just a creature. 'God's dog' as Martin Luther called him. When he starts nipping at your heels, kick him. Put him in his place, outside your house in a fence. Submit yourself to God, his truth and the truth of the situation, resist the Devil, his lies and junk and the Devil WILL flee from you (James 4:7)

Fight on brothers. And PRAY!

If you want a good sermon on the Devil check this out

All Dogs: the Sequel

So get this, I come home today and Madison has led her 3 year old sister, Avery, to Jesus! Wow! How's that for fruit! Isn't God sooo good!

All Dogs go to Heaven

This is not a theological statement of belief, rather the culmination of many years of prayers.

Tonight, my daughter became a follower of the Living God. God saved her! Her asthma has been terrible again and tonight we were watching the movie, All Dogs go to Heaven. At one part, the main character gets a trip to Hell where he encounters lakes of fire, and the Devil himself. This gave me a good opportunity to talk with Madison about Hell (not the first conversation we have had about that place or the main resident, Satan). At first she was unphased, but after we put her to bed, she came out all crying and fearful of the Devil. This was a great opportunity to explain to her my own fears about the Evil One's work in my life and how I do not fear ultimately because I am a Christian and Christians do not need to fear him (Matthew 10:28-29). Knowing that she was not a Christian (by her own admission), I took the opportunity to ask her if she was ready.

Now at this point you may be shaking your head thinking I used scare tactics with my 6 year old. I did. But I think this kind of fear is healthy, truth filled fear (Luke 16). Understand too that this was not the first time we had shared the gospel with Madison. We have taken over a dozen chances to stop life and explain Jesus, the cross, heaven, hell, etc. Each time when we have asked if Madison wanted to accept Jesus, she would say no. What a knife in the heart of a father! I have led dozens of people to Christ with one conversation, but can't lead my daughter with a dozen.

Kylie and I have always lamented that there is a spiritual hardness of heart with Madison, a quiet rebellion. We prayed that it would be the love of God which drew her to Himself. But in this case, it was His justice. His justice was the hammer that broke up hard ground. She has always prayed, sang songs of worship and talked freely of Jesus, but resisted taking the step her family and many friends have taken. Not that night.

She prayed and asked God to forgive her of her sins towards mommy, daddy, Avery and God. She asked for His help and healing. Now, is she really saved? I don't know, really. That will be born out in the fruit she bears as a follower of the Light or the darkness (Matthew 7). But I trust the Word when it says that we must believe like children (Matthew 18) and confess with our mouths (Romans 10). I'll leave it up to God. it always was up to Him.

Thought I would share my "good news".

Resolutions for wimps

New Years Day. The #1 promise breaking day of the year. Or at least the birth of a promise broken. On this day people all over the world make promises they probably never will fulfill. They range from weight loss to drinking less to exercising more to watching your language to...and the hits keep coming. I hate New Year's Resolutions. Here's why. It offends my navel. Ya, my navel.

New Year's resolutions give people world wide permission to turn the focus of their lives inward and change one thing about themselves that they do not like. Me, me, me. What about what God likes? Who cares whether you like what you are changing or not? Why not ask God what He likes and what He wants to be changed in you. Maybe that is how you approach New Year's Day. Great! So what took you so long to get there? Why were you waiting for New Years? Why not make the change at Thanksgiving? Or Memorial Day? Or now!

"Resolutions" should be a regular part of our every day. That's how I read Ephesians 5:18. Don't get drunk (read 'controlled by') on wine, but be filled (read 'controlled by')with the Holy Spirit. The tense of the verb suggests this is a daily occurrence. The control of the Spirit requires us to be making "resolutions" each day and fulfilling them to God. I may not want to do, it may not feel good or meet my self centered, navel gazing needs, but they will meet God's. Be filled, be filled, be filled with God's Spirit. His control. Not just at the start of the New Year to be lost by the time June kicks in, but every moment of every day for every holiday. See Jonathan Edwards for an example of a godly man who took resolution making seriously. Not for weight loss, but sin loss.

I hope the Spirit's control this year is greater than last year's. Not for your sake, but for God's. To Him be the glory, the honor and the praise. Amen.